The Math of Netherwitch

For fun, I figured I’d do a short dive into the math of Netherwitch. While it probably isn’t obvious to most readers, I keep a giant spreadsheet and run calculations in the background. The main goal is to keep things sane. Which is to say, to ensure Sylvia isn’t using more mana than she has and isn’t obliterating enemies she shouldn’t be. Thus, not only do I keep track of things Hp, Mp, or ether reserves. I also consider the damage of attacks, how effective parries are, and how spells interact with different levels of protection.

Of course, I don’t promise to be perfect. I’m not a living, breathing gaming console. Nor do I need to be. Things just need to be in the ballpark of right.

But, for those who like numbers, take a beautiful gander at the hidden math.

Attributes

Complete descriptions of these attributes is found on the end blurb of the first few chapters of the Netherwitch. The math is pretty simple. It’s worth noting, however, that the Tier multiplier always applies to the primary aspect of any attribute. It does not apply at all to the secondary aspect.

Strength: Force: (100% + 4% x Str) x Tier x Traits
Strength: Scale: (100% + 1% x Str) x Traits

Vitality: Toughness: (100% + 4% x Vit) x Tier x Traits
Vitality: Resilience: (100% + 4% x Vit) x Traits

Agility: Celerity: ((100% + 4% x Agl) x Tier)^0.5 x Traits
Agility: Precision: (100% + 1% x Agl) x Traits

Magic: Dominion: (100% + 4% x Mag) x Tier x Traits
Magic: Mysticism: (100% + 1% x Mag) x Traits

Spirit: Integrity: (100% + 4% x Spr) x Tier x Traits
Spirit: Resolve: (100% + 1% x Spr) x Traits

Wit: Awareness: ((100% + 4% x Wit) x Tier)^0.5 x Traits
Wit: Capacity: (100% + 1% x Wit) x Traits

Hit Points / Mana Points

Base Hp: (Level + Strength + Vitality x 3 + Class Hp)
Final Hp: Base Hp x Tier x Core x Traits

Base Mp: (Level + Magic + Spirit x 3 + Class Mp)
Final Mp: Base Mp x Tier x Core x Trait

This is the basic calculation of a person’s hit points and mana points. There are a few special situations not covered here, like with large creatures. To see this math applied, look at Sylvia’s status screen in Chapter 34. To help, I also grabbed the relevant parts of the modifying traits.

Name: Sylvia Swallows Class: Elite Witch
Lv: 300+90 Exp: 791 / 3010
Hp: 495 / 558 Mp: 887 / 1483
Str: 18 Mag: 102
Vit: 13 Spr: 107
Agl: 48 Wit: 102

Trait: Flawless Astral Core
* 85% Hp
* 125% Mp

Trait: Deep Reservoir I
* +12% Max MP
* +12% Mana recovery rate

Class: Elite Witch
* +150 Hp/Mp
* +10% all fundamental attributes

As a side note, the class growth for Hp/Mp is usually 50/50 for mixed and magical classes. For warriors, it is 75/25. Only in the case of extreme magical classes, like faeries, do you see 25/75. Such tiny creatures would also be impacted by scaling factors, leaving them exceedingly fragile.

Now that we have the attributes we can calculate the following:

Base Hp: 390 + 150 + 18 + 13 x 3 = 597
Base Mp: 390 + 150 + 102 + 107 x 3 = 963

Final Hp: 597 x 1.1 x 0.85 x 1.0 = ~558
Final Mp: 963 x 1.1 x 1.25 x 1.12 = ~1483

Which is the exact number on the status sheet. Which is no surprise, because these things are calculated by the computer.

Basic Damage Calculations:

Damage calculations are quite a bit more complicated. Thankfully, this can be broken down into multiple components. First is the attack power. Second is the resistance factor. Finally, there is the defense factor.

Defense Factor: MAX(0, Defense - Pierce) x Multiplier
Attack Factor: (Attack x Multipliers) - Defense Factor
Damage: Attack Factor x Hit Location Multiplier

The tricky part here are all the multipliers, of which there are many applying to any specific attack. For instance, a warrior using various arts receives the following multipliers based on the arts or techniques they are using. Note, manifestation realm and higher arts will also have a secondary buff according to the associate ‘option’. Elroy’s mountain crusher, for instance, had DRR and improved armor pierce.

Inner Flow: 100% to 150%
Externalization: 130% to 160%
Manifestation: 150% to 180%
Transformation: 170% to 200%

Hence some attack powers at Chapter 16 are:

Leonid: 194 x 1.6 = 310
Elroy: 257 x 1.8 = 463
Flame Shot: (200mp x 2) = 400
Water Knife: (30mp x 7) = 210
Lightning Bolt: 50 + (100mp x 3) = 350

From this, it can be made quite clear warriors can hit quite a bit harder than most probably assume. Of course, range and versatility play large roles. Spells are often more difficult to defend against. This is especially true for warriors who haven’t yet learned a wide variety of of defensive skills and arts.

Defensive Multipliers

In additional to positive multiplier caused by abilities and arts, the defender can also act to reduce damage. The most general forms of protection are Defense and Damage Reduction or DR. Additionally, there is Scale Reduction and Special Resistance factors (i.e. Elemental Ward).

As a side note, Damage Reduction Reduction usually applies to the combination of SR and DR. This is based on the logic that piercing attacks, such as lightning lance, would reasonably be more effective against giant or colossal creatures. For this reason, certain arts or abilities can suddenly become very effective against specific classes of foes.

Special resistances caused by things Elemental Ward, however, are not effected by DRR. Instead, they required specific attributes to pierce the resistance values. Some high quality lightning cannons, for instance, have elemental resistance piercing.

Below is a chart of the DR a common individual might obtain simply by defending themselves from an attack. Note, ki armor cannot be created before a warrior reaches the Externalization realm. Further, there are defense enhancements for ki arts as well. These occur at Externalization (8 x Toughness) and Transformation (15 x Toughness). This gain is partially offset by armor piercing gains at the same ki realms.

Guard: 20% Base DR
Heavy Armor: 5% DR
Ki Armor: 0% Base DR

Block: +10% to +30% Guard DR (depending on tool)
Inner flow: +5%
Manifestation: +10%
Transformation: +15%

Now, lets apply this to Leonid. Back in Chapter 16 the hogmin was carrying a shield and an axe. If he guards with his shield he has a DR of 60% (20% + 5% + 5% + 30%). When he uses his weapon the DR is 45% (20% + 5% + 5% + 15%). If he simply solidifies his ki at the last moment, his DR is 30% (20% + 5% + 5%).

The next thing to note is Leonid’s Defense attribute. His base defense is 73. This becomes 96 when he is explicitly externalizing his ki. Leonid, alas, does not have a proper ki armor technique. If he did, he’d have 96 defense so long as his stamina holds up.

Be aware though, that using ki to defend always consumes stamina. It’s an active defense. If a warrior loses all or most of their ki, their base defense falls to the raw level provided by their body plus a fraction supplied by their armor (martial armors also use ki).

Using all this, we can calculate the damage he’d take from Sylvia’s flame shot (400 attack power).

Defense Factor A: 73 - 10 = 63
Defense Factor B: 96 - 10 = 86
Defense Factor C: 126 - 10 = 116 (shield defense+)

Clean Hit: 400 x 0.95 - 63 = 317
Emergency Guard: 400 x 0.70 - 86 = 194
Weapon Parry : 400 x 0.55 - 86 = 134
Shield Block: 400 x 0.40 - 116 = 44

Now, lets compare this to a spell well-suited for smashing through a guard, lightning lance. This advanced magic has higher attack power: 450 (100 + 3.5 x 100mp). But the real advantage is in the better armor penetration. Lightning lance offers a DRR of 15% and an armor pierce of 100. This reduces Leonid’s damage reduction to 45%, 30%, and 15%. Furthermore, his defense factor is effectively 0 as the hogmin’s low level and poor equipment just isn’t enough to resist.

Defense Factor A: 73 - 100 = 0
Defense Factor B: 96 - 100 = 0
Defense Factor C: 126 - 100 = 26 (shield defense+)

Clean Hit: 450 x 1.0 - 0 = 450
Emergency Guard: 450 x 0.85 - 0 = 383
Weapon Parry : 450 x 0.70 - 0 = 315
Shield Block: 450 x 0.55 - 26 = 222

Here can be seen the brutal difference in attack quality. Warriors can get similar boosts by using higher level weapons which have higher pierce factors. Inversely, if they wear higher quality armors they can have greater defense attributes and thus take much less damage from attacks.

Hit Location

The strike location also plays a major factor in the damage delivered. Generally, striking the head or the torso deals normal damage. Hits striking the extremities will inflict around 50% damage. Gazes might inflict as little as 10% damage. If a parry or block keeps the energy of the attack from reaching the core of the body, hit location factors also apply.

Thus, Leonid would take 4 to 21 damage from Sylvia’s flame shot when guarding with his shield. His axe, however, wouldn’t stop the curl around. Therefore, he’d take the full 134.

By contrast, there are also critical hits. Striking any congealed organ in the body will do 1.5x damage. Striking the demon core or heart deals 2.0x damage. In addition, destroying organs can cause side effects such as the temporary loss of a trait. In the case of the core or heart, this causes the target to immediately lose 50% of their Max Hp/Mp. Which means, destroying the heart is normally instant death.

Alas, things here aren’t so simple either. The effect of Vitality: Resilience reduces critical hit damage. Thus, someone with 100 Vitality takes 1.25x damage from normal criticals and 1.5x damage from strikes to the heart. Not only that, but the demon would only lose 25% of their Max Hp/Mp when the core is lost.

… unless struck by an art or spell with greater depth of reality. An Enlightenment realm warrior piercing through a heart would do full critical damage to those with 100 Vitality. Instead, it’d take 300 Vitality (400 resilience) to halve critical damage. At the Truth realm 900 Vitality (resilience 1000%) is required to halve the effect of a critical strike. And that’s before considering specific arts.

Higher level spells have a similar suppression of critical reduction.